Faceless Echoes
by AlSmash
Summary: (Rewrite of Faceless) All warfare is based upon deception and in the Shinobi World there is no truer sense to the saying. Yet, Naruto has crafted his very existence from this to fool everyone. Just what is truth and reality, and what horrors does Naruto hide as he shows his embrace of the Shinobi Way. CRA used as a political asset and not "have sex with everyone" crutch.


**Because of demand for an update on this, the manga now being completed, and the fact that I have been playing with an idea to improve upon my writing here, because my writing two years ago was horrid, I decided to rewrite Faceless a long time ago. Well, because of some people contacting me about the story, I decided to throw together the first chapter, there is not a huge difference in the overall tone of this chapter, some parts cut, some parts improved upon. But it's a beginning. I do plan to update this every once in awhile (I have EIGHT Active stories going right now, with demands to update Interview and Scrubbed), so I'm sorry its not a lot in differential. The differences you will see will come in the next few chapters as I change some of the story and some other things.**

**I just don't know how much I will be capable of. I get physically ill writing lately and there is no explanation for it, other than the feeling of nausea and a headache that comes every time I try and write. So there is that.**

**Anyways, here is the beginning of the rewrite.**

**Chapter 1**

_**The Mask Dissolves**_

Kakashi Hatake was not in the best of moods as he stalked through the halls of the hospital. Of course, no one would know that thanks to the mask that he wore and the lackadaisical expression he did keep, but he was worried and frustrated at the same time. Worried that the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru, had an inordinate amount of interest in his young Sharingan-equipped charge, and frustration in that because of that, the others would have to suffer because he would have to focus training solely upon Sasuke for the Chunin Exam finals. Which, of course, left no time for his other student partaking in the Exam; the son of his late sensei and hero of Konoha. He would make it up to Naruto when he had the opportunity, but for right now, the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few.

That wasn't to say that he wasn't going to have someone train Naruto, but in every scenario he had played in his head, there was no logical method in which Naruto could beat the Hyuuga prodigy. And even if he did, there was no way that Naruto would qualify for being a Chunin anyway, he did not have the makings of a good ninja because he did not have the experience to mold him in such a way. It was a callous assessment, but it was nonetheless true. The stigma of being the container of the Kyuubi had robbed the boy of adequate training or preparation for the cruel world that his profession required, and it was a miracle that he had became a genin in the first place through the luck of being able to master a kinjutsu in a single evening.

No, Naruto had all the hallmarks of his father, he just hadn't been molded to that level of success yet, and he would be certain that Naruto would have that opportunity in the future once Sasuke was adequately satiated in his quest for power. Once that was done, he would get all of the training he needed, but for right now he would just have to endure.

Maybe the rumors of Jiraiya being back in Konoha had some merit, he hoped, even not, Ebisu was a capable instructor in at least providing an accurate direction in becoming a better shinobi. At least, that was what he could hope for, to be honest, Ebisu was the only one outside of Kurenai or Asuma that would touch him, and both of them had their hands full with their own students at the moment.

Maybe he should make an attempt at contacting Jiraiya, he thought to himself, then dismissed it, knowing that the likelihood of containing the Sanin in the time frame if he wasn't in Konoha was slim to nil, odds were, if he was in Konoha, he would encounter Naruto soon enough.

Speaking of the kid, Kakashi mused as he walked into the main lobby of the hospital, where Naruto was asking to see Sasuke, only to be denied. He noted the looks of thinly veiled disgust on the attendants' faces and sighed internally. It was easy to tell that they were in the anti-Naruto camp.

"Naruto," he called out to the blond jinchuuriki, intending to catch his attention and divert him from a possible scene.

"Kakashi-sensei," the boy stated, walking towards him and causing him to raise an eyebrow silently at the fact that Naruto seemed calm and was not running towards him with the childlike exuberance that had been a permanent fixture of Naruto, "I have a request to make."

_Which I cannot honor_, he thought silently looking down upon the blond boy, feeling a pang of guilt at the fact that he was cheating the boy that reminded him so much of _him_, discounting that he was his sensei and pseudo-father figure's son.

But sacrifices must be made, he reasoned, sacrifices always must be made. It just sucked that Naruto was once again getting the short end of the stick.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I thought it would come to this," he lied on that last part, he had not believed that Naruto would beat the Inuzuka heir, "But I did find someone who could help train you."

If he had expected the blond boy to protest that, he was sorely mistaken as he was only met with an impassive expression and narrowed eyes.

"You're going to train Sasuke, aren't you," the boy said, his voice tired, and for a moment, he could have sworn there was a veiled _again_ in that statement, but it had to be his imagation.

Taken aback at the complete one-eighty in behavior of his student, he still couldn't leave the boy completely depressed at the choice.

"Don't worry Naruto, I did find a trainer who is more reliable than I am," thanking Kami that Ebisu was approaching them and allowing him to change the subject. It was hard not to see Naruto his usual expressive self, if anything, Naruto reminded him right now too much of his father, too cool and collected for his taste.

Only, if he had expected a reprieve, he was sorely mistaken as Naruto's eyes easily gave away that he had picked up Ebisu, and if anything, seemed even more displeased.

"I...see," he finally stated as Ebisu finished his approach, but if there had been a tone bereft of emotion, it was now something that caused chills to run down Kakashi's spine at how Foundation-ish it sounded, a part of him suddenly becoming worried at the idea that maybe Danzo _had_ got his hands on Naruto in secret.

"Such insolence," Ebisu spoke, adjusting his sunglasses, "I'm here to-"

He was cut off by the sudden rise in killing intent as blue eyes locked onto him, Kakashi only catching a small amount of it thanks to its focus.

"You're a tokubetsu jounin pervert who is all talk, Ebisu-_sensei_," came the cold tone of the blond jinchuuriki, "the only reason you are recognized as good is because of your relative knowledge in both basic and advanced shinobi techniques in such a way that you can provide advanced training to those with unique or clan status in the village. Outside of that, there is nothing noteworthy to you."

Leaving the tokubetsu jounin frozen, the eyes slid back to Kakashi, softening only slightly.

"Let's be honest here, Kakashi-_sensei_," the last part spat like a bitter fruit, "the only reason you have given Sasuke such preferential treatment since we have been a team is because he reminds you too much of yourself. In fact, he's a carbon copy of yourself, only with revenge issues. I don't blame you for that, its only natural to go with who you understand and could easily adapt your lessons to improve himself. But what do I know, right? I barely passed the Academy because no one spent the time or effort in making sure I was successful, but we both know the nine reasons for that, don't we, Kakashi."

He couldn't resist flinching at the vitriol in the tone that Naruto was going at him, knowing perfectly well that the boy was right. But at the same time, to his disgust, he was searching for an excuse for why Naruto was suddenly like this, looking for any telltale signs of influence from-

"Oh Kakashi, it won't be that easy," Naruto mocked him in a light tone, shaking his head in disgust, "it's ironic, really, all of that time standing in front of the memorial stone and spouting it to our team, it's you who would violate that inviolable creed you. How does it feel to abandon Sakura and I, scum."

"Naruto, please," Kakashi tried, searching for the right words even as he was verbally torn apart, not seeing the blond boy for who he was, seeing his sensei standing there judging him, and not his son, "you are thinking too much about this, Sasuke needs training-"

"Because he is fighting the jinchuriki of the Ichibi," Naruto finished, causing Kakashi's eyes to widen at both his student's bluntness and knowledge, where had the knowledge come from?

"I know, Kakashi, but that's no excuse to ignore your other two students. You've been ignoring all of us ever since you became our sensei, taking a lazy approach and teaching us scant little the entire time. It's a miracle that we survived the wave mission, let alone the Forest of Death with your incompetent teaching. You have the knowledge of a thousand jutsus and the experience of ANBU, and you throw us into the Chunin Exams with the only thing taught to us being _treewalking _and _team exercises_," Naruto shook his head and laughed.

"Naruto, please-"

"Kakashi Hatake," Naruto's voice rose an octave, cutting through what he was going to say and silencing him like a Raikiri to the chest, "I, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze hereby resign my position as a member of Team 7, effective immediately."

And before Kakashi could say anything more, the blond disappeared in a blue flash, Kakashi's heart stopped as he realized exactly what he had just seen and what his student had just declared.


End file.
